This was a question in a book called “3,000 Questions About Me,” and I thought what a perfect time of the year to answer this question as we close in on Halloween. I’ve culled out several more that fit this time of the year as well!

I’ve watched The Walking Dead and have seen a lot of zombie movies, and I’ve enjoyed them for the most part. The Walking Dead did get a little too gory for me, and I bowed out after the fourth season. But I think this question is a lot like “do you believe in ghosts?”

Some people really believe the zombie apocalypse is a possibility much like they believe we’re going to be visited by aliens from other planets one day. Personally, I believe more in life on other planets than I do in zombies. That said, what do I know? I can’t honestly say with 100% knowledge that zombies or ghosts don’t exist.

​So what do you think? Do zombies exist, and could we face an apocalypse one day? What is your favorite zombie movie? Mine will always be Warm Bodies! 

I don't watch a lot of television...at least not while a show is currently airing. I prefer to stream everything now as most people do. Sometimes, I'll watch a show more than once if I really enjoyed it because I figure I might have missed something as I was watching it the first time around.

In the #bookcommunity, we talk about book boyfriends and heroes that we wish could be real, and it's the same way in the television streaming world. Don't you just wish some of these people could be real? Here are my top three!

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The Resident quickly became one of my favorite shows when it debuted, and though it ended last year, I remain somewhat infatuated with Matt Czuchry who played Dr. Conrad Hawkins. Conrad was just the type of doctor, friend, and partner who could make anyone fall for him. Kind, caring, and protective, he never gave up and loved fiercely. That's book boyfriend material right there. 

Shemar Moore's Hondo is the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. I was devastated when S.W.A.T. got cancelled after six season, giddy when it was renewed for a seventh and final season, and over the moon when CBS gave it yet another shot and an eighth season. I don't know if this will be the final one or not, but Hondo will always have my heart. He's strong, fearless, protective, ready to go to battle, dedicated to his friends, and just the type of guy you'd want right next to you every second of the day. 

Ian Anthony Dale first came to my attention when he was cast on the remake of Hawaii Five-O. He was originally a somewhat type of bad giuy, but he turned his life around and even joined Five-O. The strong, sensitive type, he had no problems with emotions, and he was another fierce protector. He would jump in at a moment's notice to save someone and wasn't the type of person to be crossed. He played the part well, and I was excited when Dale joined the cast of The Resident briefly in its final season because it was a chance to see a different side of him. Another picture perfect boyfriend!

Do you have actors/actresses that you could see in books? Or that you imagine are in your favorite books? 

Every now and then books just need to be updated, especially covers, and that's what I've done for Trusting the Law, my 1920s historical novella. Take a look and let me knwo what you think!

I love all kinds of music, and I love to find certain songs that I can write scenes to, whether it's a fight scene, a love scene, or even a dramatic scene. And I was fortunate enough to come across a song that was released by Chris Young in 2021. Right now, I'm slightly addicted to it. Have a listen and see what you think! 

I was first published in 2002. Twenty-two years ago. I still remember the day my agent called and told me I was going to be published. It was surreal. And it was a scam. I didn't know it at the time, but the publisher who'd accepted my book was an author mill. It churned out books left and right, setting them at such astronomically high prices, the odds of getting a friend to buy a book was slim. 

To be frank, the book wasn't that good. Oh, I thought it was at the time, but, honestly, reading back over it now makes me cringe. I knew little to nothing about plot and character arcs. But I was going to be published so I was over the moon. It didn't take long for reality to sink in, and as the weeks and months passed, and I discovered more about this publisher, I was disheartened and embarrassed. That was my first chance to get published, and I'd allowed myself to be conned because I was so caught up in the idea of being published that I didn't take the time to do any research or ask any questions. That was a hard lesson learned, but it wasn't the only one I learned from my first foray into publishing. 

Lesson #2 was not everyone in this industry is out for your best interests. It was a kick in the teeth to learn that my agent wasn't who she'd presented herself to be. It wasn't long after the publication of my first book that she and I went our separate ways, but only after I found out that she did next to nothing to help my career. That's why we need to be our own best advocates.

Lesson #3 was it's better to not be published than to be ashamed of your publisher. There are so many writers who want to be published today. I understand the feeling completely. That sense of "I need to be published" can make even the slightest nibble by a publisher attractive. Recently, a friend of mine told me she'd been contacted by a publisher who was interested in her book. That sent up a red flag because good publishers don't have to look for authors; the authors come to them. 

And Lesson #4 was that you'll never have a second first chance, but that doesn't mean your first chance has to define you. Since 2002, I've published over fifty novels and novellas and thousands of articles, essays, and short stories combined. I've taught classes to aspiring writers, have spoken at conferences and to groups, and have had some amazing opportunities I wouldn't have had if I hadn't gotten my start in publishing. Would my path have been easier if I'd been published by a better publisher? Most likely. But, as we've all heard before, it's not where you start but where you end up that matters. 

So whether you wish you'd never been published by a certain publisher or wish that you hadn't self-published your first book, you can choose to move forward, put that part of your past behind you, and give yourself a second chance that will be immeasurably better than your first. 

I was reading an article recently about ways to make additional income on the side, and one of the ways listed as start a blog. I previously wrote about freelance writing being considered a side hustle as well, and I think it's a bit disingenous to tell people that starting a blog is a good side hustle. It can take a long time to build up readers and start earning money from blogging. So for those people who need extra money now, blogging isn't going to help. 

If someone is looking to invest time and energy for something that will pay off in the long run then, by all means, a blog can be considered a way to do that. But many of these articles I've read that including blogging aren't taking into consideration that many of the people looking for side jobs need that extra paycheck sooner rather than later. And blogging is a long-term committment. One post a month isn't going to work if you're trying to build an audience.

I have readers that faithfully come to this blog even though I only update once or twice a month. That's because they know my schedule, but that's taken years. Ask any writer, and they'll tell you that when they first started writing their blogs, all they heard were crickets. 

So if you're one of those people who needs to make money on the side, there are plenty of ways to do it that will get you the money a lot faster than trying to build an audience with a blog. Not trying to be a negative Nancy here, just realistic. Blogging is great; it really is. I love to jot a post when I have the time, but I also know that it does take time and dedication, and if someone is already working hard to make ends meet, they may not have the energy or inclination to share their thoughts or energy with the world. 

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe some successful bloggers do consider it a side hustle that has worked for them. I know there are plenty of bloggers who started off part-time and are now working their blog full-time. In that aspect, you have to start somewhere. Just don't expect to rocket out of the gate with 1,000 readers and advertisers begging to work with you. Realism is the key!

Every now and then, it's good to freshen things up, and that's what I'm starting to do with some of my older books. Last Showing, which released in 2016, is getting a new cover. It's in line to be uploaded now! What do you think? 

This has never happened to me before, but I was going through Google Docs yesterday and saw a title I didn't recognize. I pulled it up and began to read through it then it started to come back to me. I had written this book many years ago, so many years ago that some of the details are obsolete. But it was complete at almost 70,000 words! 

I'm assuming I put the book aside once I finished it (as I always do) to give myself a break from it. Then I come back later to begin rewrites. I didn't do it in this instance which is puzzling. But I now have another complete book to rewrite/rework. I don't know if it's one I'll start working on anytime soon, but it was definitely a surprise to unearth 70,000 words of writing that occurred, probably ten years ago!

I'm working on a different kind of story. The tagline is Dexter meets The Golden Girls. In sensible shoes and pearls, these women are carrying out their own brand of vigilante justice. I'm halfway through the first book in what will probably be a series, and here is an excerpt. 

Today wasn’t her day to kill, but Marge Hardy couldn’t say no to a friend. Bess Majors hadn’t missed one day doing her civic duty until she’d been struck down by the horrible strain of flu that had hit their hometown of Fairview, North Carolina. It had even caused the poor dear to miss Bridge Night, and everyone in the neighborhood knew how much Bess loved bridge.

With a sigh that was both resigned and reluctant, Marge put aside her knitting, shuffled down the hall to her bedroom, and stepped out of her slippers. She changed her clothes—one must always greet a guest with the proper attire—and patted her hair into place. Then with a pinch of her cheeks, she left her bedroom.

Halfway down the hallway, she realized she’d forgotten her pearls. “Oh for the love of Pete, Marge, you’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached.” She retraced her steps to gather the long strand of pearls her late husband, Felix, had gotten her for their last Christmas together. A tear sprang to her eye at the thought, but she quickly chastised herself. Now certainly wasn’t the time to be thinking about love and romance.

Humming below her breath, Marge fastened the pearls around her neck and checked her image in the hall mirror. “Not bad for an old gal.” She winked at her reflection and made it to the living room just as the doorbell rang.

Oh, good. That would be Mr. Livingston now. Perhaps she’d still have time to catch Lives Unfulfilled. The soap was her one guilty pleasure of the day, and her two favorite characters had spent the last few months in a tumultuous relationship that just might get resolved today as long as her appointment cooperated.

She just hoped the geezer would drink his coffee quickly and be on his way. She hated laggers, but more so today with it closing in on three o’clock. Missing the first few minutes of her story would simply ruin today’s viewing. Usually, a show picked up right where the cliffhanger had left off, and she’d no doubt today’s episode was going to be a doozie.

As much as she’d been encouraged to get a DVR, she should have listened by now, but since she spent most of her time at home, she didn’t think it was worth the investment. For times like these, though, one definitely would come in handy.

With a smile on her face, she swept open the door and greeted Ben Livingston warmly, beckoning him into her two-bedroom home with its “Welcome” sign over the foyer table.

“Ben, it’s so good to see you again. Bess told me you’d be stopping by. I’ve just put on a fresh pot of coffee. Come on in and make yourself comfortable. Do you take sugar or cream with yours?”

She barely heard his response as she hurried into the kitchen. Was he a talker? She hadn’t thought to ask Bess. Quite frankly, she didn’t know much about Ben except what she and the girls had learned from their former handler.

A trafficker in women and drugs, he’d topped the FBI’s most wanted list for decades but had managed to elude capture. He’d finally been arrested, but his slimy attorney had managed to get him acquitted when the evidence had magically disappeared. Livingston had sauntered out of the courtroom with a smile on his face and had gone back to his old ways, even having the audacity to move into the Mountain Reserve Retirement community under an assumed name. And had sealed his fate.

Though technically retired, she and her three colleagues, that she now considered friends, worked now more than they ever did. None of them would sleep a wink, though, if they allowed a threat to society like Ben Livingston to go unpunished. And it had been up to Bess to carry out his termination…until today.

“Stupid flu,” Marge muttered, banging cabinet doors as she searched for the creamer. Now where on earth had she put that stuff? When had she used it last?

She snapped her fingers. “Oh, yes. Mr. Shelt.” He’d been her last visitor, expiring several hours after leaving her home, but not before he’d used up all of her coffee creamer. Apparently, he’d preferred the cream over the taste of coffee which had forced her to buy another container which she hadn’t yet put away.

Ben said something to her, but she didn’t really listen. There wasn’t much he could say that would interest her, and once he drank his coffee, she’d shoo him out the door. Marge always found a good dose of rudeness tended to send visitors on their way, and she was always rude to criminals who made a mockery of the justice system.

She touched a hand to her deceased sister’s picture, held against the refrigerator by matching pink magnets. Dear Carolyn’s life had ended early at the hands of a drug dealer who’d mistaken her for one of his customers. He’d served fifteen years in the state penitentiary, not nearly enough in Marge’s opinion. Fortunately for him, she’d been on assignment when he was released from prison, or she might have been tempted to carry out her own brand of justice.

“Time to stop wool-gathering, Marge.” The admonishment sent her into a frenzy of activity. She finished adding the extra ‘spice’ to Ben’s coffee and returned the tiny vial to its safe place in the far corner of the cabinet.

​Then squaring her shoulders, she lifted the two mugs of coffee and carried them to the dining room table. The clock was ticking, and she simply had to see if Claudia was going to accept Brock’s marriage proposal.

I've been a writer for a long time, a published author for over twenty years. Along the way, I met a wonderful woman who helped me learn to promote my books, market myself, and be a better author and friend. An author herself, she has accomplished so much in her career, but she has never forgotten that once upon a time, she was a struggling writer.

Many of you know this author, and if you don't, you should because Lisa Renee Jones is one of my favorite people and one heck of a writer. She's funny, smart, talented, driven, and an absolutely incredible person. 

She's a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, and one of her series, The Secret Life of Amy Bensen is now a series on Passionflix.  And even with all her successes, Lisa is one of the most humble people you'll ever meet. And I share all of this with you today because every writer should have a Lisa in their lives. I'm just lucky enough to have found mine early in my career. Here's hoping you find yours!